diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-linux.yaml b/.github/workflows/build-linux.yaml
index cc722ef9e..7c0f1e120 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-linux.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-linux.yaml
@@ -41,37 +41,47 @@ jobs:
         run: pip list | grep kiara
       - name: test with pytest
         run: make test
+      - name: Coveralls
+        nuses: coverallsapp/github-action@v2
+        with:
+          parallel: true
+          flag-name: run ${{ join(matrix.*, ' - ') }}
 
   coverage:
     name: test coverage
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - name: "Set up Python 3.10"
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
-        with:
-          python-version: "3.10"
-      - name: pip cache
-        id: pip-cache
-        uses: actions/cache@v3
-        with:
-          path: ~/.cache/pip
-          key: ${{ runner.os }}-pip-${{ hashFiles('**/setup.*') }}
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
-      - name: install core_types plugin
-        run: pip install -U git+https://github.com/DHARPA-project/kiara_plugin.core_types@develop
-      - name: install tabular types plugin
-        run: pip install -U git+https://github.com/DHARPA-project/kiara_plugin.tabular@develop
-      - name: install kiara
-        run: pip install -U  .[dev_testing]
-      - name: display installed kiara and module package versions
-        run: pip list | grep kiara
-      - name: Run coverage
-        run: coverage run -m pytest tests
-      - name: coveralls
+      - name: Coveralls Finished
         uses: coverallsapp/github-action@v2
         with:
-          format: python
-          allow-empty: true
+          parallel-finished: true
+#          carryforward: "run-1,run-2"
+#      - name: "Set up Python 3.10"
+#        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+#        with:
+#          python-version: "3.10"
+#      - name: pip cache
+#        id: pip-cache
+#        uses: actions/cache@v3
+#        with:
+#          path: ~/.cache/pip
+#          key: ${{ runner.os }}-pip-${{ hashFiles('**/setup.*') }}
+#      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+#      - name: install core_types plugin
+#        run: pip install -U git+https://github.com/DHARPA-project/kiara_plugin.core_types@develop
+#      - name: install tabular types plugin
+#        run: pip install -U git+https://github.com/DHARPA-project/kiara_plugin.tabular@develop
+#      - name: install kiara
+#        run: pip install -U  .[dev_testing]
+#      - name: display installed kiara and module package versions
+#        run: pip list | grep kiara
+#      - name: Run coverage
+#        run: coverage run -m pytest tests
+#      - name: coveralls
+#        uses: coverallsapp/github-action@v2
+#        with:
+#          format: python
+#          allow-empty: true
 #      - name: Upload coverage data to coveralls.io
 #        run: coveralls --service=github
 #        env:
diff --git a/src/kiara/interfaces/python_api/models/job.py b/src/kiara/interfaces/python_api/models/job.py
index 9dbe6efce..d6be61f60 100644
--- a/src/kiara/interfaces/python_api/models/job.py
+++ b/src/kiara/interfaces/python_api/models/job.py
@@ -276,6 +276,7 @@ def run_tests(self):
     def run_job(self) -> "ValueMap":
 
         print(f"Running checks for job '{self._job_desc.job_alias}'...")  # noqa
+
         try:
             result = self._kiara_api.run_job(operation=self._job_desc)
         except Exception as e:
diff --git a/src/kiara/registries/data/__init__.py b/src/kiara/registries/data/__init__.py
index a03a0103f..4e4f7202b 100644
--- a/src/kiara/registries/data/__init__.py
+++ b/src/kiara/registries/data/__init__.py
@@ -368,7 +368,6 @@ def get_value(self, value: Union[uuid.UUID, ValueLink, str]) -> Value:
                         raise Exception(
                             f"Can't retrieve value for '{value}': invalid type '{type(value)}'."
                         )
-
                     _value_id = self._alias_resolver.resolve_alias(value)
         else:
             _value_id = value
@@ -1018,6 +1017,7 @@ def create_valuemap(
     ) -> ValueMap:
         """Extract a set of [Value][kiara.data.values.Value] from Python data and ValueSchemas."""
         input_details = {}
+
         for input_name, value_schema in schema.items():
             input_details[input_name] = {"schema": value_schema}
 
@@ -1042,7 +1042,15 @@ def create_valuemap(
                 try:
                     _d = uuid.UUID(_d)
                 except Exception:
-                    pass
+                    if schema[input_name].type == "string" and not (
+                        _d.startswith("alias:") or _d.startswith("value:")
+                    ):
+                        pass
+                    else:
+                        try:
+                            _d = self._alias_resolver.resolve_alias(_d)
+                        except Exception:
+                            pass
 
             if isinstance(_d, Value):
                 _resolved[input_name] = _d
diff --git a/src/kiara/utils/testing/__init__.py b/src/kiara/utils/testing/__init__.py
index d7d58540b..0d8561f7c 100644
--- a/src/kiara/utils/testing/__init__.py
+++ b/src/kiara/utils/testing/__init__.py
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ def get_init_job(jobs_folder: Path) -> Union[None, JobDesc]:
     if init_test_yaml.is_file():
         return JobDesc.create_from_file(init_test_yaml)
 
+    init_test_yaml = jobs_folder / f"{INIT_EXAMPLE_NAME}.yml"
+    if init_test_yaml.is_file():
+        return JobDesc.create_from_file(init_test_yaml)
+
     init_test_json = jobs_folder / f"{INIT_EXAMPLE_NAME}.json"
     if init_test_json.is_file():
         return JobDesc.create_from_file(init_test_json)
@@ -29,8 +33,17 @@ def list_job_descs(jobs_folder: Path):
     if init_job is not None:
         yield init_job
 
-    for f in sorted(jobs_folder.glob("*")):
-        if f.name in [f"{INIT_EXAMPLE_NAME}.yaml", f"{INIT_EXAMPLE_NAME}.json"]:
+    files = (
+        list(jobs_folder.glob("*.yaml"))
+        + list(jobs_folder.glob("*.yml"))
+        + list(jobs_folder.glob("*.json"))
+    )
+    for f in sorted(files):
+        if f.name in [
+            f"{INIT_EXAMPLE_NAME}.yaml",
+            f"{INIT_EXAMPLE_NAME}.yml",
+            "{INIT_EXAMPLE_NAME}.json",
+        ]:
             continue
         try:
             job_desc = JobDesc.create_from_file(f)
@@ -70,6 +83,8 @@ def get_tests_for_job(
 
     if test_checks.is_file():
         test_data: Dict[str, Any] = get_data_from_file(test_checks)
+        if test_data is None:
+            test_data = {}
     else:
         test_data = {}